Most of us know that eating our five daily portions of fruit and vegetables can help protect against serious health issues, such as heart disease and some cancers, but two thirds of us still do not eat enough fresh produce. Through the government’s 5 A DAY and Change4Life campaigns, we have already made a significant impact in encouraging everyone to make healthier choices.

It would be foolish, however, to ignore that food and drink businesses are in a unique position to influence consumers for good. They can reformulate products, promote healthier choices, and reach people in ways that government cannot. That is why we want to work with the food industry to help everyone make healthier choices.

Through the Responsibility Deal we have already achieved real progress in helping people cut the calories and salt in their diet. More than 470 companies including 21 leading supermarkets, food manufacturers and trade bodies have signed up, which means we are reaching people all across England. Companies like Sainsbury’s, Tesco, General Mills and Subway have all signed up with different initiatives to make fruit and veg more accessible and attractive.

Initiatives include Aldi supermarkets increasing the amount of store space dedicated to fresh produce and featuring its discounted ‘Super 6’ fruit and vegetable lines in their promotional activities such as TV advertising; Iceland will offer coupon deals on fruit and vegetables and increase promotion to its customers using social media features as well as introducing new fruit and vegetable products; and Lidl will rebrand its entire fruit and vegetable range, making it more appealing, particularly to children.

In November we also launched our ‘fruit and veg pledge’ that aims to encourage action across the food industry to help people eat more fruit and vegetables. This includes foods right across the board – fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced products, as well as fruit and vegetables in pre-prepared food, such as ready meals.

Diet-related ill health costs the NHS around £6 billion a year, and we need to take action at every level to help people make healthier choices. This pledge is part of a wider government plan to encourage us all to eat our 5 A DAY, which includes a £10 million investment in the Change4Life campaign, and the 2.1m children who receive a free fruit or vegetable in school every day under our scheme.

In 2013 and beyond, we want to see even more businesses making a resolution to sign up to the Responsibility Deal, or furthering their commitments. This will help all of these initiatives to complement each other and reduce obesity levels in England, encourage healthier eating habits and help us all to live longer, healthier lives. —